Council calls for State Government to protect renters from ‘no grounds’ evictions

Friday, 05 October 2018

The Inner West Council has added its voice to the call on the State Government to make renting fair and bring balance to our rental system.

The call follows Council’s fight to protect long term renters evicted from their homes on William Street in Leichhardt in an apparent bid by a new owner to drastically increase rental prices.

Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne said that the recent evictions showed exactly what was wrong with tenancy law in NSW.

“These tenants were given just 60 days to pack up their lives and find somewhere new to live,” he said.

“Many of them are on pensions and for some their physical ailments made it impossible to work and equally impossible to find somewhere new to live in such a short time frame. One gentleman had to leave the country he has called home for 45 years to live with his family in New Zealand.

“This is what’s wrong with rental law, and while the Government’s changes are a good step in the right direction, the changes mean little if renters aren’t also protected from unfair evictions.”

In December 2017 Council resolved to support a key objective of the Make Renting Fair campaign, namely the removal of current provisions in tenancy legislation which permit 'no grounds' evictions.

While the Residential Tenancies Amendment (Review) Bill 2018 contains many positive amendments for renters, such as protections for survivors of family violence, it fails to address the fundamental imbalance in the State’s renting laws caused by unfair 'no grounds' evictions.

“The spectre of a ‘no grounds’ eviction hangs over every tenant,” said Mayor Byrne.

“Addressing the fundamental imbalance between renters and landlords will offer increased security for renters without creating uncertainty for landlords.

“We need to replace 'no grounds' with a fair and balanced list of 'reasonable grounds', and we need to do it now.

“This would still allow property owners with legitimate reasons to take back their property.

“People who rent deserve a fairer deal. An end to ‘no grounds’ evictions would make NSW a better place in which to live.”

For further information, please contact Kate Walsh on kate.walsh@innerwest.nsw.gov.au